South Dakota prairie dog plague spreading

A disease that can devastate prairie dog colonies has been confirmed on the Fort Pierre National Grassland in South Dakota.

The bacteria that causes sylvatic plague was found in fleas collected from prairie dog colonies, according to District Ranger Ruben Leal.

Sylvatic plague was first detected in South Dakota in 2004. The disease has been migrating north and west. It also has been detected on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, in Badlands National Park and on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation.

There have not been any confirmed cases of the plague in people in South Dakota.